Campus Trail

So our first field trip was on FGCU's campus trail. I was somewhat curious about the trail because I hadn't ventured too far off campus into the wildlife. Plus, I like the idea of field trips and having class unofficially outside of class. I was curious to see where our teacher would take us too. As we started walking around, I was amazed at how little I knew about FGCU after having gone here for so long. Professor Davis informed us of the many steps our school was taking in order to become more green. I wasn't aware that the school was designed, such as the roofs for instance, to maximize it's ability to help the environment and help the school run more efficiently. I also didn't know about the water sheds and the fact that we had certain areas built on campus meant to retain water long enough for it to be soaked into the soil and filter properly down to aquifers. After learning about all that, we got the chance to walk further back down the campus back to where the new dorms had been built. This was a different sight for me because I had actually not gotten the chance to see the new dorms since they've been built. I just never took the time to go out there and actually see them. Then we actually walked on the campus trail in the wildlife which was cool because I hadn't been on there either. It was interesting to see the professor describe the trees and be able to identify them out of nowhere. I was definitely not aware of the paper trees that were overpopulating the flora on campus. It apparently got to the point where they all needed to be chopped down. We went further into the forest and I was amazed at how deep it seemed. Sometimes it seemed we were walking forever there! Anyways, after the fact, I was surprised at finding construction STILL being built in the back of the forest and at the amount of space available out there still. I guess I never really thought of FGCU having this much space with all the trees and buildings close together in one part of the area it seemed. Towards then end, I was happy to find that they had this clearing with a few park benches and a hammock. It seemed to be a quiet spot to hang out. My views of campus had definitely been broadened by the field trip. Before I had felt I had seen all there was to see on campus but after the campus trail with my colloquium class, I have definitely been shown a new environment to explore. All in all, I had an enjoyable experience.

My Neighborhood

"You can't know who you are until you know where you are."- Wendell Berry.

This school year I've been dealing with a change of scenery. Over the last two years, I was living in Coastal Village. The place was decent. I didn't have too many complaints about it, under than the fact that people got crazy every weekend, and was no stranger to the occasional cop cars and student arrests. However I knew that I needed a change of scenery. I was paying 549 bucks a month but essentially one room in a four bedroom apartment, including utilities but it just didn't feel like home to me. That's when I decided I would need to move out after last school year and decide on something else. I lucked out to a great piece of property in a nice, quaint neighborhood. Stoneybrook at Gateway.




It is a great gated community about 20 minutes or so away from FGCU. The houses there are great and the whole community itself just looks wonderful. They have numerous facilities including a pool, basketball court, tennis court, and gym. It's all pretty much straight out of a movie. There are so many suburban homes and families here they should have nicknamed the place Suburbia. There are several lakes and pathways along the lakes along with benches to sit and enjoy the scenery.




I didn't really notice too much of things that were put in place to sustain anything. There is only trash cans at the clubhouse. The lakes all have fountains, however so they are reprehensible. There are a lot of kids that travel along the sidewalks and run around, so there isn't much of a sense of peace when I'm out there on my runs. Regardless of whether I'm home in my hometown of Englewood, or here in Fort Myers, I'll always be most comfortable in the house, in my room, tv on or music playing.

Journal Entry 1- Incoming Reflection

It's only been a few weeks and I'm still a little uncertain as to what to expect from this Colloquium class. My initial thoughts going into the class are basically what I have heard from my peers. There's going to be a lot of writing and you get to go on field trips. I'm absolutely fine with either. I'm a fan of writing and I think it's one of my natural talents. And shoot, I haven't been on a field trip since I was in high school so that should be fun too. Plus the class is only once a week, so I think I can manage that. I wasn't aware of how environmental the class would be getting but after these first few weeks I can see where we're going. I myself personally don't have too much experience working in the wildlife. I haven't volunteered too much in the wildlife, nor have I had any jobs in the environment. I am however, eco-friendly. I do have a liking for the environment. When I was little I would play in trees and climb every natural piece of Earth out there. I think it's our responsibility to make sure we keep this planet clean for generations to come. That's one of the things i'm hoping to walk away from after this class. I'm hoping that I will learn of more opportunities to help the environment and to learn more about environmental issues that are going on in our world today so that I can formulate my own opinion and ideas to resolve. I'm hoping to succeed in the class and get an A. I think the environmental tips and experiences I will walk away from this class, while on the outside might not help me with my degree, will be beneficial to me in the long run when I'm settling down with my career and family and deciding on how to devote my volunteer time to my community, to my environment and to my planet.